AAHHE Latinx Student Success Institute (LSSI)
Future Dates to be Determined!
Past AAHHE Latinx Student Success Institutes (LSSI)
2025 AAHHE/ETS Latinx Student Success Institute
The Latino Student Success Institute
Sponsored and Presented by the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success at the University of Texas at El Paso
and Co-Sponsored by ETS Baerreson Ballroom C


Presenters:
Dr. Anne-Marie Núñez, Executive Director, Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success Dr. Azuri Gonzalez, UT Regents’ Endowed Distinguished Director, Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success. Dr. Gary Edens, Professor of Practice and Retired Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jesus Cisneros, Department Chair, Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director, Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations Dr. Louie Rodríguez, Vice Provost for Professional Development, Engagement, and Strategic Initiatives. Dr. Erin Doran, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Foundations Dr. Heather Smith, Vice Provost for Advising, Academic Success, and Student Support Ms. Jennifer Lujan, Director, Center for Community Engagement
March 7, 2025, 8am-11am MST In-person pre-conference session
Description As Hispanics are the nation’s second largest racial/ethnic group, serving them well in higher education is essential to building this country’s workforce and well-being. In this Institute, a nationally engaged group of scholars and administrators based at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), a leading Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), will facilitate a learning opportunity for leaders committed to advancing Hispanics’ thriving and success in higher education. In sharing effective strategies for Hispanic student success with one another, including those based on HSI Hispanic servingness, participants will leave the Institute with a renewed sense of community, commitment, and understanding of how to enact culturally affirming approaches to elevate their students’ thriving.
2024 AAHHE/ETS Latinx Student Success Institute
Interrogating the new realities: Creating a culture of evidence to respond to the Anti-Diversity, Equity & Inclusions and Anti-Affirmative action landscape
Speakers: Luis Ponjuan, PhD & Edith Fernandez, PhD
March 13, 2024, 8am-11am CST In-person pre-conference session Maximum participants: 25
 Sponsored by ETS
Institute Summary
In 2023, higher education institutions, leaders, scholars, and students faced unprecedented challenges to the ideals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and affirmative action laws. As a result, the educational experiences of Latina/o students have created an arduous pathway to enrollment, persistence, and completing a postsecondary credential and/or degree. There is a critical need to highlight and understand how these recent state and federal laws shape how institutions meet the needs of these students.
The theme of the AAHHE 2024 conference, Interrogating Ways of Knowing & Production as Forms of Healing: The Intersection(s) between the Land, Community, and Education, provides the lens on how higher education leaders and scholars must use their research acumen, advocacy, and collective strength to interrogate and challenge these new realities to create the safe and brave spaces build and support our comunidad.
Despite the political rancor, the AAHHE philosophical foundation compels educational leaders, faculty members, and professional staff to develop purposeful and intentional policies, programs, and practices to assist and support our diverse Latina/e/o/x student, scholar, and practitioner comunidad in community colleges and four-year institutions.
Purpose
The purpose of the AAHHE 2024 Latina/e/o/x Student Success Institute is to create a safe space for higher education leaders to learn about current research from national and prominent scholars, to ask important questions, and to develop professional connections. We will have a specific focus on the college enrollment and persistence of Latina/e/o/x students (e.g., defined by various identity-based dimensions). This highly interactive institute will inspire, educate, and empower leaders, faculty members, and professional staff to return to their campus with new questions, ideas, and action steps to move this agenda forward.
2024 Latina/e/o/x Student Success Institute Agenda
Time
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Event
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Facilitator
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Description
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8:00 AM
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Arrival & Coffee
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8:15 AM
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Summit Welcome
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Dr. Luis Ponjuán & Dr. Edith Fernández
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Welcome and Institute participant introductions
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8:45 AM
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AAHHE welcome
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Dr. Azara Santiago Rivera
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Introduction and opportunity to learn about the future of AAHHE
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9:00 to 9:30 AM
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Session I
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Dr. Luis Ponjuán
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Interrogating the new realities: Creating a culture of evidence to respond to the Anti-Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Anti-Affirmative action landscape
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9:30 to 10:00 AM
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Session I breakout
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Dr. Luis Ponjuán
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Group breakout session
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10:00 to 10:15 AM
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Session I Break
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10:15 to 10:45 AM
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Session II
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Dr. Edith Fernández
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Administrator voice: Theory to Practice session
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10:45 to 11:15 AM
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Session II breakout
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Dr. Edith Fernández
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Group breakout session
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11:15 to 11:30 AM
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Session II Break
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11:30 to 12:00 PM
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Session III
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Dr. Luis Ponjuán
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Lunch & Institutional breakout brainstorm session
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12:00 PM
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Action plan session
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Dr. Luis Ponjuán &
Dr. Edith Fernández
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Final thoughts, guiding questions, leveraging the AAHHE comunidad, and action plan for the Academic year 2024-2025
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2023 AAHHE/ETS Latinx Student Success Institute
Unspoken Realities of Undocumented Latina/o/x students with and without DACA status: Creating Awareness and Action through Policies, Programs, Practices, and Politics
Speakers: Luis Ponjuan, PhD, Edith Fernandez, PhD, & Cinthya Salazar, PhD
March 1, 2023, 8am-1pm PST In-person pre-conference session Maximum participants: 50
 Sponsored by ETS
Institute Summary
In 2022, we celebrated the decade anniversary (June 15, 2012) of the unprecedented DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) executive order which provided children of unauthorized foreign immigrant parents to have certain protections. Scholars of DACA “Dreamer” students have found that these students achieved academic success under these protections. In addition, other scholars have examined a similar group of students who are described as Undocumented students who are not protected by the DACA executive order. There are unspoken realities of Latina/o/x undocumented students with and without DACA status must endure on their pathway to a postsecondary credential and/or degree. There is a greater need to highlight and understand how these students face unique and ongoing challenges that are often not known or addressed by administrators, faculty members, or professional staff. The theme of the AAHHE 2023 conference, La Lucha sigue (the struggle continues), provides the lens on how higher education leaders and scholars must use compassion, grace, and comfort to understand the unique academic, social, well-being of this growing sector of Latina/o/x students. Despite the political rancor and the uncertainty of immigrant policies, the AAHHE philosophical foundation compels educational leaders, faculty members, and professional staff to develop purposeful and intentional policies, programs, and practices to assist and support undocumented Latina/o/x students with and without DACA status in community colleges and four-year institutions.
Purpose
The purpose of the AAHHE 2023 Latina/o/x Student Success Institute is to create a safe space for higher education leaders to learn about current research from national and prominent scholars, to ask important questions, and to develop professional connections. We will have a specific focus on college enrollment and persistence of Latina/o/x undocumented students with and without DACA status. This highly interactive institute will inspire, educate, and empower leaders, faculty members, and professional staff to return to their campus with new questions, ideas, and action steps to move this agenda forward.
2023 Latina/o/x Student Success Institute Agenda
- Introduction and Welcome: Dr. Luis Ponjuán
- Session I: Creating an asset-based narrative about undocumented Latina/o/x students with and without DACA status: Dr. Luis Ponjuán
- Session I Facilitator: Dr. Luis Ponjuan
- KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Dr. Cinthya Salazar, former 2022 AAHHE Faculty Fellow
- Keynote Facilitator: Dr. Cinthya Salazar
- Session II: THEORY TO PRACTICE SESSION: Dr. Edith Fernández
- Session II Facilitator: Dr. Edith Fernández
- Final Thoughts and Reflections: Dr. Luis Ponjuán & Dr. Edith Fernández
2022 AAHHE/ETS Latinx Student Success Institute
Embracing Healing: Improving enrollment and persistence rates for Latinx/a/o students (In-person pre-conference session; maximum of 30 participants) March 9, 2022 | 11 AM - 4 PM PST Nevada State College - KAB Auditorium
 Sponsored by ETS
The pandemic continues to linger in the lives of Latinx/x/o students. There are untold stories about the complex lives of Latinx/a/o students and how they participate in college. Once again, national reports highlight that our students face unique and ongoing challenges that are often not known or addressed by colleges. The theme of the AAHHE 2022 conference, Embrace Healing, provides the lens on how higher education leaders must use compassion, grace, and comfort to engage with Latinx/a/o students and their families. Despite having many factors that create a complex portrait for a diversity of Latinx/a/o students, higher education leaders, professional staff, and faculty members need to listen and help to heal these students through purposeful and intentional policies, programs, and practices.
The purpose of the AAHHE 2022 Latina/a/o Student Success Institute is to create a safe space for higher education leaders to learn about current research, to ask important questions, and to develop professional connections. We will have a specific focus on college enrollment and persistence for the diversity of Latinx/a/o student learners (e.g., non-traditional age, low-income, single).
Presenters:
- Luis Ponjuan, PhD, Chair, ETS Latinx Student Success Institute; Associate Professor, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University.
- Edith Fernández, PhD, Co-chair, ETS Latinx Student Success Institute; Vice-president, College and Community Engagement, Nevada State College.
Keynote Address Fostering Scholar Identities among Latina/o/x Community College Students through Undergraduate Research Marissa Vasquez, EdD, Assistant Professor, San Diego State University
Agenda:
- Introduction and Welcome: Dr. Luis Ponjuán
- Session I: Aligning our compass for success, Dr. Luis Ponjuán
- Session I Facilitator: Dr. Luis Ponjuán
- Keynote Address: 2021 Former AAHHE Faculty Fellow Dr. Marissa Vasquez
- Keynote Facilitator: 2021 Former AAHHE Faculty Fellow Dr. Marissa Vasquez
- Session II: Theory to Practice Session, Dr. Edith Fernández
- Session II Facilitator: Dr. Edith Fernández
- Final Thoughts and Reflections, Dr. Luis Ponjuán & Dr. Edith Fernández
Updated July 30, 2025
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